An enviable hideaway on a cobbled street high on a hill, with stunning views next to Galileo's house, the Villa Bardini and gardens

A serene retreat basking above the Algarve with sea views from the garden and pool, and charming Moorish details

Escape to your own barn. Brimming with beams and natural colours - surrounded by peaceful lavender-filled gardens and corn fields

A really well thought-out escape for a small family with children. A big garden, pool, petanque court and play barn for indoor fun

Perfect for families - a glorious farmhouse surrounded by lavender fields. Rooms are huge and children can roam free in the vast gardens

A renovated bright apartment with lots of space, a hop, skip and jump away from the shingle beach of seaside-jolly Deal

Swings, a terrace and pool in 2 acres ringed by fields and tranquility, and lakes and vineyards beyond. Family bliss in Quercy

A delightful coastal cottage with far-reaching ocean views from almost every room, two gardens and a short hop to beach and Coast Path

A dear little gingerbread-style house in the prettiest part of the estate with your own pontoon and boat on the edge of a shimmering lake

A scrupulously renovated dog-friendly gate lodge with garden and outdoor dining area, a five-minute drive from Mount Congreve Gardens

A grand-looking stone building with fabulous views across the Derwent Valley from the terrace and garden – find quirky rooms and great food

A semi-detached 19th-century stone cottage, scrupulously renovated with indoor heated swimming pool, sauna and terrace in a quiet spot

Pomegranates, persimmon and figs, the waft of rosemary on the air... we love this old 'mas' 25km from Gordes, in sweet sunny Provence

A cosy cottage on a farm down a long winding track, wonderfully rural with footpaths across fields or along the canal

A gorgeously quirky historic building overlooking the bustling harbour with a cracking bar, St Austell ales, superb food and stylish rooms

An 18th-century limestone barn, now a quiet hideaway for a group of friends or family in a very rural spot surrounded by fields and woods

Surrounded by wildlife and water, this ultra-modern house has huge windows, white walls and designer furnishings. Blissfully remote

Surrounded by vines and swept by sea breezes, two lovely, simple gîtes with a gorgeous shared pool and a courtyard for boules